The Indo-American Center was established in 1990 by a group of Indian immigrants seeking to respond to the wide range of needs within Chicago’s South Asian immigrant population, which included individuals from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. In its earliest stages, the Center began as a one-room office, providing immigration assistance for the community. Over time, the Center expanded its services, providing the wide range of support that its founders had envisioned. To meet its growing needs, the Center purchased a two-story building at 6328 N. California Avenue in the mid-1990’s, a location which continues to serve as the Center’s home.                                 

Today, the Center stands as the oldest South Asian organization in Chicago and operates with an annual budget of about $800,000. It continues to move forward the founders’ mission, promoting the well being of South Asian immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment, integration and friendship with the wider society, nurturing their sense of community, and fostering appreciation for their heritage and culture. In accordance with this mission, the Center now operates nine main programs which work to provide a full-range of community support - Citizenship and Immigration Assistance, Public Benefits Assistance, an Adult Literacy Program, a Youth Development Program, Civics and American History courses, Computer classes, a Seniors’ Program, a Workforce Development Program, and the Cyriac D. Kappil Legal Clinic.